EP 90: From RNS 2026 | How to Build a Brand That Drives Long-Term Fundraising Growth with Donna Lucas

In this episode, we bring you content from the 2026 Responsive Nonprofit Summit from Donna Lucas, Chief Marketing Officer at Joni and Friends.You'll hear about:Why being the "best kept secret" is a sign of failure, not something to celebrateHow Donna convinced her CFO to shift 60 percent of the budget to brand awarenessThe framework of brand first, marketing second, fundraising thirdWhy she compares branding to planting, marketing to cultivation, and fundraising to the harvestHow Joni and Friends grew fundraising 95 percent over seven years by investing in brandWhy treating every social comment and DM like a phone call transformed donor engagementHow a full brand audit uncovered nineteen field offices acting like their own marketing agenciesWhy aligning internal staff around the brand matters as much as external messagingConnect with Donna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamlucas/Learn more about Joni and Friends: https://joniandfriends.org/Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.